Hailo allows passengers to hail a black cab within minutes via an app, and first launched in London in 2011. It has expanded to include executive cars and now faces competition from a raft of similar apps such as San Francisco's Uber, Kabbee, GetTaxi and established players such as Addison Lee.

Tom Barr, Hailo's chief executive officer, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Gary to the Hailo team and we are looking forward to tapping his innovative strategic marketing and communications skills to build on the initiatives we already have in place.

"I’m excited to see what bringing in someone with his creativity and outstanding reputation in the tech industry will do as he further helps us build our brand’s message.

"With Gary on board, Hailo will continue to grow in strides and extend our brand to new regions and new services."

Hailo recently announced that Londoners booked almost £20m worth of black cabs through its app during its first year in business.